Nadav Ben Yehuda

Nadav Ben Yehuda

Ben Yehuda, a skilled ice climber and social activist, was attempting to scale Mount Everest back in May 2012, when he found another climber, Aydin Irmak from Turkey, lying unconscious inside a crack in the ice. Though less than 350 meters from the peak of Everest, Ben Yehuda turned his back on the prize to rescue his fellow climber, forsaking the opportunity to become the youngest Israeli ever to conquer Everest, the world’s highest summit.

Nadav got severely injured during the rescue, and still struggles towards recovery.

For these actions he was awarded a Presidential Medal of Honor from Israel President Shimon Peres.

Since then Nadav continues to lead mountaineering expeditions, he is working to promote development of photography capabilities in extreme conditions, he leads the effort to spread ice climbing genre across the country, and speaks for Israel around the world.

One Response to “Nadav Ben Yehuda”

I heard you speak earlier this month in Chatswood,Sydney, Australia. Your story was powerful and heartwarming. What I can’t understand is why people go on their OWN for the final climb to the top. Just like with scuba diving, I would imagine people would only be allowed to climb with at least one buddy, (and preferably more) to reduce the risks in isolation, to work as a team. Wishing you a success and/or satisfaction in everything you put your mind to.